圈地运动的先声:中世纪西欧大垦荒

The First Sign of Enclosure Movement:The Assart in Medieval Western Europe

关于欧洲中世纪的垦荒运动国内已有一些研究成果,可是将其与后来的圈地运动相联系的专门论述似还未见。11-12世纪,伴随着封建制确立,欧洲进入了它的第一个青春期,11-14世纪遍及欧洲的大垦荒,既是对人口增长、经济复苏做出的反应,更是欧洲乡村制度变迁的一部分,事实上,新垦土地的增长是与农奴解放、新兴城市兴起同步推进的。普通农民对自由劳动和自由土地的追求,成为垦荒运动最深沉最持久的动力。垦荒运动冲击了旧田制并且较早地释放了土地产权变革诉求,在这个意义上成为此后圈地运动的先声。

There have been many studies on the assart in medieval Europe,nevertheless few of them made a specialized research relating it with the subsequent enclosure movement. In the 11-12 th century,with the establishment of feudal system,Europe entered its first adolescence. The reclamation throughout Europe in the 11-14 th century was not only a response to population growth and economic recovery,but also a part of the transition of European rural system. In fact,the increase of the newly reclaimed lands was synchronized with serf emancipation and the rise of emerging towns. The pursuit of free labour and free land by ordinary peasants had become the most profound and lasting impetus of the reclamation. The reclamation had a strong impact on the old field system and made an earlier release of the demand for land property right reform. In this sense,it has become the first sign of the subsequent enclosure movement.